Madison Middle School

Welcome back! We look forward to seeing students return to school on Wednesday, January 7, following our regular bell schedule, with school beginning at 9:00 a.m. As we head into the final stretch of the semester, please note that first semester ends Friday, January 16—with just 8 instructional days remaining. This is a great time for students and families to check Parent Portal and Canvas for any missing assignments and to reach out to teachers about make-up work or tutoring support. Our before- and after-school extra learning opportunities and tutoring schedule is always linked at the end of the weekly Sunday letter. We also have exciting athletics opportunities coming up—from clinics with our friends at Vista High School, to a special one-day basketball camp at Madison with retired NBA players in February, and field hockey tryouts. Be sure to check out the flyers below—we’re excited for a strong start to 2026!

Thank you for reading, and have a great week!

Tom Berger

Principal

Jan. 5

• No School

Jan. 6

• No School

Jan. 7

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)

Jan. 8

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)

Jan. 9

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)

• January 12 -1 Field Hockey Tryouts
• January 13 School Site Council
• January 19 No School (M.L.King Day)
• January 29 Madison School Tour
• February 5 ELAC Meeting
• February 5 Madison School Tour
• February 16 -20 President's Week (No School)
• February 25 Minimum Day Schedule

On Saturday, February 7, 2026, in partnership with SYNC – Synergy Youth & Community, Inc., we are excited to welcome former NBA players Olden Polynice, Jud Buechler, and Dominic McGuire for a special event dedicated to elevating inclusion on and off the court. This camp brings students of all abilities together to learn, play, and grow side by side while building confidence, teamwork, leadership, and basketball skills in a supportive, fun environment. Morning and afternoon sessions are available for grades 3–8 and 9–12, and Vista Unified students may attend for free using the code VUSD-SYNC2026. We invite families to join us for this inspiring day of community, belonging, and play. Register by CLICKING HERE.

More in-person bike safety classes have been added for students who plan on riding a bike to school. Students must take the class before riding their bike to school.

To see previous broadcasts, visit Madison's Vimeo channel.

As we evaluate the drop-off and pick-up procedures in our lot, we've seen an increase of students walking through the lot during the busiest times. We are asking that drop-off and pick-up only take place at the designated areas in front of the school. Please do not do so in the center of the parking lot.

Thank you for driving slowly and safely in the lot at all times. In case you missed it, here are a few friendly reminders that we published last week.

Please do NOT...

• make U-turns on the hill going up to the campus.
• drop-off or pick-up your student in the middle of the parking lot.
• cross the double-yellow line and drive up the hill the wrong way.
• block parked-cars from exiting the lot if you arrive early and are waiting to pick up your student.

Please DO...

• Drive slowly in our parking lot.
• Plan ahead. If you arrive between 7:37am - 7:42am, expect a 4-5 minutes of slow traffic as Lake Elementary uses our lot for drop-off.
• Consider picking up your student after 3:50pm when traffic is lighter. We do have campus assistants supervising at the front of the school till 4:15pm.

No schedule or convenience is ever worth the cost of driving aggressively and risking our children’s lives and wellbeing. Thank you for modeling the values we teach our students—respect and responsibility—which help build strong, positive relationships across our school community. We know traffic delays can be frustrating, and we truly appreciate your patience and kindness as we work together to keep everyone safe.

As you declutter and clean out your child’s closet, please consider donating gently used pants to our school. Pants should be clean, with no rips or holes or stains. Our students’ most-needed colors are black and gray.
Thank you so much for your support and generosity! 💙

All students who bring phones to school are required to keep them in the pouches while on campus. Please review the parent letter for detailed information and expectations regarding their use. This is our second year using Yondr pouches, and they have proven to be an effective tool in helping students stay present and maintaining a positive campus environment.

Miss a week? Click HERE for previous newsletters.